LG G Pad III 8.0 is an affordable tablet with e-reader optimizations

Tablet sales may be on the wane, but LG is not ready to give up on this once-hyped product category just yet.

LG just launched the third generation of the G Pad series in South Korea and the tablet is already available from several Canadian carriers.

The LG G Pad III comes with an 8-inch Full HD LCD display. We’re looking at a 16:10 aspect ratio, instead of the more common 16:9 or 4:3. That should make it a good compromise for users who want a great experience when watching videos and reading or browsing.

LG bills the G Pad III 8.0 as a great device for reading e-books. A dedicated “Q” button on the side puts the tablet in reading mode. The mode dims out the blue light emitted by the screen, which is known to inhibit sleep. If using electronic devices in bed tends to keep you awake, you may want to try this feature – it works for all activities, like browsing or using Facebook, not just reading.

The G Pad III 8’s other specifications are forgettable. There’s an unnamed 1.5GHz octa-core processor, 2GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, along a microSD card. The two cameras are 8MP (front) and 5MP (rear), while power is supplied by the 4,800 mAh unit. At least the software is on par, with Marshmallow running the show.

In South Korea, the LG G Pad III 8.0 costs 330,000 won or about $280. The device was only announced officially today, but Canadian carriers Fido and Rogers have been selling it for a couple of days for 240 CAD. Note that the Canadian version is slightly modified – it offers LTE, but only 16GB of internal storage.